Girl's Sports
Girl’s Sports
WASHINGTON—JANUARY 26, 2026, According to an announcement by HHS and Education, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education say they have referred Minnesota to the Department of Justice for enforcement action over alleged Title IX violations tied to girls’ sports and female-only facilities.
In a notice issued January 26, 2026, the agencies said Minnesota officials have declined to change policies that allow male athletes to compete in girls’ athletic programs and access spaces designated for female students. Title IX, passed in 1972, bars sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding.
Federal officials said the matter follows findings issued September 30, 2025, in which both agencies concluded the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League were not in compliance with Title IX standards. The agencies said they offered a voluntary resolution agreement but that Minnesota later declined to accept it or enter negotiations.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the federal government would move forward with enforcement after what he described as Minnesota’s refusal to comply. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the state had been given repeated chances to resolve the issue and argued that current policies undermine fairness and equal access.
The investigation grew out of a compliance review launched in June 2025 after the participation of a male athlete in a Minnesota high school girls’ softball championship. Federal officials said they reviewed additional sports and concluded that similar participation occurred across multiple girls’ teams, including skiing, lacrosse, track and field, volleyball, and fastpitch softball.
The agencies said the referral could lead to proceedings that may include termination of federal funding connected to HHS and Education programs.
Source: https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-education-refer-minnesota-to-doj-for-allowing-males-in-girls-sports.html
